Online Only: Pots And Trays Showcase

Want more on pots and trays? Check out October’s feature,Tomorrow’s Containers, for industry suppliers’ takes on changing customer demands, new materials, and recycling. And you can read about the latest trends in decorative containers here.

East Jordan Plastics:

Project 100% Horticulture Container Recycling Program

East Jordan Plastics, building on its long history of plastic recycling, has engineered and implemented a closed loop recycling process that uses proven technology and ensures maximum energy efficiency and quality products. The company’s fist processing line in South Haven, Mich., has the capacity to recycle more than 10 million pounds of material annually. To arrange recycling of your plastic horticulture containers, or for more information, visit East Jordan Plastic’s Project 100% site.

Summit Plastic Company:Ä“co360

The Summit Plastic Company Ä“co360 line of products are engineered for the environmentally conscious grower and designed for the home gardener. OP47 Bio Pots, Poly-lactic Acid (PLA) Pots and Trays, Rice Hull Pots and NetPots, are all composed of sustainable, renewable resources. The line is designed to perform in horticulture automation, maintain standard footprints in greenhouses and on shipping racks and resist mold growth. OP47 Bio Pots and PLA Pots and Trays are made in the United States using American-grown, processed and converted renewable resources. For more information, contact Summit Plastic Company.

Myers Industries Lawn & Garden Group:

Coconut Coir Growing Products

Coconut coir containers from Myers Industries offer visibly better, faster plant growth, maintain their form when wet, and will not compact, maintaining a proper air to water ratio. The coir comes from an inland source, so the material has naturally reduced salt levels. They also have a higher resistance to mold.

The containers are made from a biodegradable, organic material and in independent tests required 30% less watering than peat, making them an excellent option in sustainable programs. For more information, visit Myers Industries.

RootMaker Products Co.: RootMaker propagation containers

With their unique design of angles, ledges, ribs, and holes, patented RootMaker propagation containers are highly efficient at directing roots for air root pruning. By loading the container with active root tips, every plant is equipped for transplant success and long-term health.

What will be the next big perennial? Breeders say it takes more than a splashy plant to distinguish itself in the market. Therefore, the question is not what will be the next big perennial, but rather what perennial performs well enough in the garden to have staying power in the market for years to come.

The industry's goal is to have loyal customers who return to the same plants time and time again, not because of price, but owing to a plant brand that shouts top-notch garden performance and is synonymous with excellence, which gives them the secure knowledge that their investment will be worth every hard-earned cent.

Pots aren’t just something for a grower to put a plant in anymore. The presentation of the plant for the consumer — the container, sleeves and wraps, tags and signage, even a story — can be almost as important as the plant itself. It’s a trend we saw in full force at OFA Short Course this summer. The Deco Trend “As container gardening’s popularity continues to grow, we are seeing an increased focus on growers selecting containers based on the end consumer’s preferences,” says Dave Edenfield, business development manager for McConkey. It’s a trend driven by many forces outside our industry, he says. Americans are living in smaller spaces, moving more frequently and have less space for a garden. Container gardening is a chance for them to express themselves without making the permanent commitment in the landscape. “There is more pressure on growers and garden centers to choose growing containers […]

Summit Plastic Co. and Nursery Supplies Inc., affiliated companies since 2006, announce a merger designed to offer a more comprehensive, innovative assortment of their complementary products and services. Nursery Supplies Inc., long a leader in the nursery sector of the horticulture industry (tree, shrub, foliage and woody ornamentals), offers a full product line from three distinct processes: blow- and injection-molded, and thermoformed containers ranging from trade gallon through 250+ gallons. With an extensive list of innovative solutions in square and round systems, Summit Plastic Co. offers customer-focused thermoformed packaging for growing, transporting and merchandising products in the color and perennial sectors. “This is the beginning of an exciting merger that is well-planned and will be carefully executed. Our goal is increased service and ease of doing business for our customers. On a day-to-day basis our customers and vendors will enjoy the same strong personal relationships we have always had,” says […]

Landmark Plastic Corporation, a manufacturer of thermoformed and injection molded horticultural products, has hired Steve Beall as the company’s new vice president, sales and marketing. Beall has spent more than 20 years in sales and sales management positions, including senior positions at American Greetings Corporation and Hallmark Cards, Inc. Beall also spent more than 10 years in the horticulture industry, most recently serving as vice president Smithers-Oasis, Grower Global Solutions. Beall will be responsible for directing all sales and marketing activities for Landmark Plastic and will report to Chairman and CEO Robert G. Merzweiler. “Steve brings to Landmark a strong background in sales and sales management,” Merzweiler says. “He has been responsible for driving global strategic sales and is highly experienced in marketing, brand strategy, business development and sales execution. Steve’s ability to utilize cross-functional teams will enhance our already strong support of our customers. Steve will work closely with […]

CowPots CowPots’ #4 Square containers are the ultimate earth-friendly seed starter pots. These “pots you plant” are made with biodegradable, 100-percent renewable composted cow manure. CowPots are suitable in a greenhouse environment for up to 12 weeks. Once planted, CowPots quickly biodegrade, giving your plants the benefits of manure while virtually eliminating transplant shock. These pots also fit standard plastic carrier, have a porous wall that allows unrestricted root growth and are great for step-up transplants for vegetables and annuals. The manufacturing process removes all of the weeds, pathogens and odor from the manure. This leaves the natural fiber and goodness of manure for a perfectly plantable pot. Flat Tire Décor Flat Tire Décor features innovative products created from recycled tires. The Newport is Flat Tire’s largest and most versatile basket. Due to the uniqueness of the tires and the manufacturing process, each product has its own distinct character, texture, […]

A new house brand and pot design has been unveiled for the Star Roses and Plants brand, the umbrella brand over Star Roses/Conard-Pyle products. The house brand will be home to roses for which the company is an industry leader and will also include perennials and shrubs. Plants will be displayed in a newly designed pot, featuring the widely recognized chartreuse color that the company uses in all of their marketing and branding efforts. The new pots will first be seen on the Knock Out and Drift rose lines. “We are always working on ways to provide our customers, growers and garden retailers with superior genetics backed by innovative and consistent brand marketing,” says Steve Hutton, president and CEO of Star Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle. “We are excited about this new brand — Star Roses and Plants — because it allows us to more effectively market our new, exciting lines of […]

The Plant Pie method, created by Alan Van Wingerden, the owner of OVW Greenhouses, is a patented way of growing plants in a round shallow tray. To see the Plant Pie at the OFA Short Course, visit booth #0607. Proponents of the method boast that it has been found to perform better than the standard method of growing from individual cells, trays and pots. The Plant Pie is also marketed as the latest in plant tray technology for everyone from wholesale greenhouses and landscapers to garden centers and home gardeners. Customers have reported that the Plant Pie produces top-quality, thriving flowers and plants because of how the roots develop. Simply use top-quality soil and follow the easy directions, and the Plant Pie root system spreads laterally, maximizing the amount of soil within its shallow, 3-inch, ribbed tray. To find out more about the Plant Pie, visit Plantpie.com or call 973-633-0682.

Pöppelmann Plastics, a manufacturer in the plastics processing industry, is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website, Poppelmann.com, for 2012. Poppelmann.com features expanded content, including a company overview, product information, information and literature request forms, and news. The site also aims to allow visitors to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Pöppelmann Plastics divisions, including TEKU, KAPSTO, K-TECH, and FAMAC. The TEKU division develops and produces plant pots and cultivation systems for the professional horticulture industry. “We’re excited to offer this updated resource to our customers,” says TEKU Sales Manager Brian Russell.

Among the many goals of the team at Costa Farms, ranked third on Greenhouse Grower’s Top 100 Growers List, are to attract more gardeners and boost sales for retailers. To achieve these goals, Costa is teaming with Scheurich USA, a European-based indoor ceramic plant container and accessories manufacturer that incorporates style and fashion into its containers. With more than 120 years of combined tradition in quality indoor plants and pottery, both family owned companies are bonded by common values and growth strategies. “Scheurich’s branding statement, ‘Fashion for Plants,’ now takes on a whole new meaning,” says Jose Smith, president and CEO of Costa Farms. “The combination of our indoor houseplants, Scheurich’s stylish decorative containers and eye-catching displays, is the perfect solution for the retailer and consumer alike.” Both plants and decorative containers are an integral part of home design that consumers demand. Garden retailers have discovered how the power of […]

Landmark Plastic’s Jim Frederick recalls visiting a greenhouse operation 20-plus years ago and struggling to sell the value of plastics to a grower whose pots were all clay. But midway through the visit, a stack of clay pots suddenly tipped, slammed into the floor and sent broken pieces in all directions. The incident led to what may have been the easiest sale Frederick has made, as the grower converted his entire business to plastics afterward. More importantly, the incident serves as a welcome reminder of the container options to which growers were once limited. It’s also a reminder of plastic’s ease of handling and its durability, two of plastic’s many advantages. “There’s nothing better than horticultural plastic,” Frederick says. Clearly, plastic is the most-used material on the horticultural containers front. But its role is slowly being challenged by materials like composted cow manure, rice hulls and straw. Many of these […]

Growers typically lock in on one set of prices–the one they’re paying–in discussions with manufacturers and distributors about pots, trays and other plastic materials. Most growers probably realize there are external factors that influence a manufacturer’s costs, but it’s unlikely they dwell on them a whole lot. One person who’s in tune with the complex plastic resin market is Tony Ferrara, the director of purchasing and logistics at Landmark Plastic who buys all of the Akron, Ohio-based plastic manufacturer’s raw materials. Ferrara advises growers interested in learning more about the factors influencing plastic material costs to spend some time on PlasticsExchange.com. But perhaps the best starting point to comprehend why pots and trays are priced as such, he says, is to better understand the monumental role of polyethylene and the factors that influence its production. “The plastics world is driven by the production of polyethylene,” Ferrara says. “Everything else is […]

Whose responsibility is it to ensure horticultural plastics are recycled? It’s a question plastics manufacturers, growers and retailers have batted around for years, but it’s a question that still doesn’t have a definitive answer. East Jordan Plastics is clearly the recycling leader among manufacturers, venturing into the business in 2008 with a recycling facility in South Haven, Mich. Other manufacturers, including The Blackmore Company, Dillen Products and Landmark Plastic, are following East Jordan’s lead in plastics recovery at greenhouse operations. A number of growers have been progressive in plastics recovery, as well. North Carolina-based Metrolina Greenhouses, for example, recovers a remarkable number of plastic pots and trays from Walmart and Lowe’s stores. Most trays can be reused and are sorted by type, cleaned and checked back into inventory on shrink-wrapped pallets. The pots and trays that aren’t reused are taken to a nearby plastics recycler in Asheboro, N.C. Independent garden […]

Let’s face it: Plastic is everywhere. It’s something most of us take for granted, but it’s at the core of so many things we use in everyday life. Plastic is at the core of how greenhouse growers do business, as well. Before the advent of plastic, handling, growing and shipping plants were undertakings we’d snicker at today. Imagine having to make your own flats out of wooden slats or growing in all clay pots: Greenhouse floriculture couldn’t possibly be the mega industry it is without the simplification and flexibility of plastic. Still, as consumers become more aware of their own use of plastic and its impact on the environment, they’re looking to other industries, including ours, and how we’re using it. Can we respond that we’re using it sustainably and that plastic is still the best value for growers, retailers and consumers? The answers according to most plastics manufacturers, as […]

New Products The new SureRoots 50-cell, 5-inch-deep Forestry Tray from T.O. Plastics is specifically designed and engineered to drive root growth downward. It promotes healthier, hardier roots on nursery seedlings, ornamentals and propagated perennials. A new, 38-cell tray is also being introduced this summer. Trays are made entirely from reclaimed plastic and are recyclable after use. For more information, visit TOplastics.com Belden Plastics’ 14-inch hanging salad basket’s soil capacity and water reservoir lets you grow tomatoes the easy way: with no bending and no stooping. The hanger will support hundreds of tomatoes, peppers or whatever you prefer. For more information, visit BeldenPlastics.com One of the biggest challenges facing greenhouse floriculture is plastics recycling at the consumer level. Once the consumer has no need for a flat, pack or pot, whose responsibility is it to ensure those plastics ultimately make their way to a recycling center? The truth is recycling is the […]

Serving as a model for a state program, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture is celebrating 15 successful years of nursery and greenhouse plastic recycling. Karen Kritz, recycling program manager, explains how the program has evolved and gives growers tips to start recycling on their own. In 1996 New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture, Arthur Brown, attended the American Society for Plasticulture meeting and met with representatives from AT Plastics, a manufacturer of nursery and greenhouse film to discuss recycling agricultural plastics. After the meeting, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) accepted the role in 1997 as facilitator in the development and implementation of a statewide film-recycling program in an effort to recover and recycle the estimated 1 million pounds used each year by Garden State growers. NJDA started out with six collection sites where most of the sites only collected nominal tonnage and were not cost effective. In 2003, […]

Bellan International spotlighted its line of decorative fiberglass flower pots featuring Stone Lite for independent garden centers and retailers incorporating the latest European design trends, stone finishes and oven-baked metallic colors. Bellan’s Stone Lite lightweight containers are made from a combination of high-density resin, stone powder and fiberglass, providing more durability and flexibility than resin. To solve problems of poor soil, some of these planters come with drainage holes and a plug and water reservoir system that keeps a minimal amount of water in the pot so the root system has a reserve to draw from. The planters are frost resistant and UV protected for outdoor use. Learn more about Bellan online at Biopots.com.

Retail packaging for the Ellepot has arrived. In a partnership with the Denmark-based Schur packaging company, Blackmore displayed the Star Bagging System at OFA Short Course. In the automated system, Ellepots are placed in biodegradable, compostable bags, which can be customized with a design and imprinted with a label just before shipping. Schur, one of the largest packaging companies in Denmark, and Blackmore started talking about a partnership more than a year ago, and the display machine shown at Short Course came off the plant floor just three weeks before the show, according to Schur’s Klaus Madsen. More than 500 systems of this kind are being used in Europe for food packaging. He says that the one skid load of the compostable bags is the equivalent of a whole truckload of pots (about 3,500 pots). Finished packaging can be equipped with features such as handles, recloseability, stand-up bottom or easy […]

The biodegradable wood fiber-based container Fertilpot manufactured by Fertil SAS has earned USDA’s Biopreferred Certification. Plants grown in Fertilpot are intended to be planted into the soil or a larger container without disturbing the natural root structure and eliminating plastic waste. Fertilpot is composed of 80 percent spruce fibers and 20 percent peat moss, making it completely biodegradable. According to USDA, the purpose of the biopreferred program is “to promote the increased purchase and use of bio-based products to the extent that the biopreferred program achieves its purpose.” By increasing the purchase of bio-based products, it is expected to reduce petroleum consumption, increase the use of renewable resources, better manage the carbon cycle and contribute to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts. The program is also expected to promote economic development, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farm commodities. To learn more about Fertilpot visit www.fertilusa.com. Learn more about the […]